A Long Road to Healing a Broken Soul
by FluffyWhiteFox
Summary: After being captured by pirates and rescued by his friends, Hiccup hasn't been the same. What happened to him in that pirate ship? Will his friends be able to help him? Or will Hiccup never be the same again?
1. Chapter 1 - The Rescue

They were flying back to Dragon's Edge, with Astrid holding Hiccup tightly in her arms while riding on Stormfly. They had just rescued Hiccup after a day and a half of searching for him.

He had been captured. Captured by pirates while flying on Toothless yesterday morning. He was separated from Toothless after being yanked away by the chains aimed at him by the pirates. Hiccup landed on the ship while Toothless ended up in the sea. Toothless watched as the pirates dragged the unconscious Hiccup into the basement and disappear from sight. Toothless thinking fast, sent out a distress call (shooting plasma blast up in the sky) to alert the others that they were in danger. Moments later, the other riders found Toothless but panicked when his rider was nowhere to be found. That was when they began to search everywhere for him and eventually found him in the same ship in the basement Toothless saw the pirates dragged him into.

But unfortunately when they found him, he wasn't in good shape.

Astrid and the Twins were on deck fighting the pirates while Fishlegs and Snotlout went to the basement to look for Hiccup. When they found him, he was curled up into a ball, hiding in the corner with his head in his arms. He was shaking and crying.

"Hiccup!" Said Fishlegs, happy to see his best friend despite the condition Hiccup was in. Snotlout sighed in relief. But Hiccup didn't respond, and they also realised his prosthetic leg was missing.

Fishlegs and Snotlout approached him, relieved to find their friend alive, and slowly reached their hand out to help him and let him know they were here. However, as their hand touched his shoulders, Hiccup screamed from the top of his lungs, startling both Fishlegs and Snotlout. They immediately retrieved their hands.

"Please stop! Please stop! P-please don't touch me please! P-please!" Hiccup kept screaming and thrashing around, leaving his two friends worried and scared.

"Hiccup! It's just us! Snotlout and Fishlegs! We are getting you out of this ship!" Said Snotlout who tried to calm Hiccup down but to no avail. It was as if Hiccup didn't even know who they were, didn't even recognised his friends. Eventually they gave up and decided to get Astrid instead.

"Astrid! Astrid!" Yelled Snotlout who rushed up the deck to get Astrid.

When Snotlout reached the deck, he saw the pirates all tied up and guarded by the dragons.

"What is it Snotlout? Did you find Hiccup?!" Astrid said urgently, axe in her hand.

"Yes, we did. We found him in the basement... but there's something really not right with him! He won't even let us go near him. I think you need to see it for yourself. Now." Snotlout explained breathlessly.

Without another word, Astrid rushed past Snotlout and into the basement. The Twins decided to follow, but only after making sure the dragons were guarding the pirates well.

She gasped when she saw Hiccup, but her eyes widened when she saw the basement. Blood. There were blood on the floor. There were also blood on his clothes. She only hoped it wasn't Hiccup's.

The Twins arrived shortly after. They gasped and froze at the sight of Hiccup.

"Hiccup! Are you okay?" Cried Astrid who began to approach him.

"Please! Please s-stop! I'm begging you! Don't touch me! G-get away from me!" Hiccup screamed loudly and cried which startled Astrid and the others. Astrid stopped, confused but continued to speak anyway.

"Hiccup! It's me, Astrid! We are here to rescue you. You are going to be okay! Don't be afraid. Everything will be okay."

"N-no! Please just stop! Please don't t-touch me! Don't do it anymore, i-it hurts so much! P-please!" He did his best to move as far away as he could from her and just kept begging and crying and showed no sign that he knew it was Astrid who was in front of him.

"Hiccup, baby it's me. Look! It's just me. It's okay!" Astrid said in a softer, gentler tone in hopes that maybe that will calm him down.

But it didn't.

Hiccup looked at her only for a second but immediately hid is face in his arms and continued to scream and shake. Astrid hesitated her next move, but she did it anyway. She reached out and touched his face.

It worked. It was a lot of struggling at first, but it worked.

At the feeling of her touch, Hiccup manages to clam down eventually and look at her. He slowly realises it was Astrid.

"A-Astrid? Astrid, it's y-you. You came for me..." Hiccup said softly, but weakly.

It broke her heart. To hear Hiccup's voice so broken, all hopes lost. It sounded like as if he had completely lost hope of being saved. Like he thought his friends would not even come to rescue him.

"Yes. Yes it's me, Astrid. Of course we came Hiccup. We never stopped looking for you baby." Astrid replied with a trembling voice trying not to cry. She had to be strong. Strong for Hiccup.

Hiccup began sobbing loudly and Astrid just held him tight, letting him cry on her chest. Hiccup was holding Astrid so tight, she thought her bones were going to break, but she didn't care. Even though Astrid tried, tried so hard, she just couldn't hold in the tears that were threatening to fall and she herself began crying as well. The gang just stood there watching them with tears also in their eyes.

After a moment, Hiccup stopped crying and Astrid decided it was time for them to leave.

"Come on Hiccup. We have to go now. Let me help you up okay?" She got up and helped Hiccup up. None of the gang helped, afraid they might frighten Hiccup again, so they just stood there watching them. It was hard getting Hiccup to stand because he seemed to be in so much pain and he didn't even have his prosthetic on.

"It... it h-hurts..." choked Hiccup.

"Where Hiccup? Where does it hurt?" Astrid asked worriedly.

But before he could reply, he passed out.

"Hiccup!" Everyone said in unison.


	2. Chapter 2 - Back on Dragon's Edge

"Hiccup!" Everyone said in unison.

"Oh my Thor! What's wrong with Hiccup?! What should we do?" Cried Tuffnut.

"We have to carry him. There's no other choice. Quick! Bring him to Stormfly!" Astrid replied hurriedly. Fishlegs and Tuffnut carried Hiccup and were right behind Astrid, Ruffnut and Snotlout, following them to the deck. Fishlegs and Tuffnut passed the unconscious Hiccup to Astrid who was already sitting on Stormfly. The rest of the gang quickly went to their dragons getting ready to take off. But before they could, one of the pirates, the leader, spoke.

"You were too late. The Hiccup you used to know is gone." The leader said with an evil smirk.

The gang just glared at him and flew off.

That was how they ended up flying back to Dragon's Edge with Astrid holding the unconscious Hiccup in her arms. They flew in silence, still in shock from what had happened earlier. From finding Hiccup in such a state, to hearing what the pirate leader said. None of them knew what exactly happened to Hiccup in that basement. All they knew was that it was something really horrible.

Astrid sighed and stared at Hiccup. Seeing Hiccup like that made her almost cry, but she managed to hold back the tears. She took this opportunity to look at Hiccup closely, to search for any injuries as she remembers Hiccup complaining about pain before passing out. Her eyes landed on his blood stained tunic. She decided to lift it up to check if there were any bleeding wounds.

She found none. Nothing that explains where the blood was from.

But she found bruises. Purple bruises everywhere. She couldn't help but winced when she saw them because it looked like it hurt. A lot. And then she saw the marks on his wrists. It looked like they had tied a rope on his wrists to keep him from struggling. Next, her eyes went to his pants. It was also stained with blood but she couldn't just take them off to check, at least not right here when they are still on their way back to the Edge, so she decided to leave it for now. When her eyes landed on his face, she realised his cheeks were red and he was covered in sweat, a lot of sweat that it probably might have soaked into her tunic but she didn't mind at all because she was glad to have Hiccup back in her arms again. She missed him. She really missed him, even if he was gone only for a day and a half.

A few hours later, they finally arrived to their destination. It was almost getting dark. They landed outside of Hiccup's hut and was greeted by Toothless who stayed at Dragon's Edge waiting for them to return because he couldn't fly on his own. Toothless was ecstatic to see his best friend safe and alive. Snotlout and Tuffnut helped to carry Hiccup into his hut and onto his bed while Fishlegs went to get some supplies from his own hut. Toothless licked Hiccup but he didn't respond which frightened Toothless.

"Don't worry, Toothless. Hiccup will be fine. He will wake up soon. I know he will." Astrid said with a hand on his head and was able to clam him down.

"I'm back! Now let's get him checked before he wakes up." Fishlegs stated when he entered the hut with some supplies in hand. The gang moved aside for Fishlegs to pass through and allowed him to do his job. Fishlegs started cleaning Hiccup up with the help from the gang, and was about to take off his tunic to check his bruises when Hiccup woke up with a loud scream scaring everyone in his hut including Toothless.


	3. Chapter 3 - Lies

"Please! Please! Stop t-touching me please! Stop!" Hiccup pushed his tunic down and started screaming, thrashing and sobbing loudly. Astrid immediately knew he wasn't really seeing his friends from the look he gave them. Hiccup thought they were the pirates trying to hurt him. It was all happening again.

The gang tried to calm him, telling him they were his friends trying to help me, but he didn't listen. Hiccup only started to scream louder. Astrid decided to try the same thing, reaching for his face to touch him but Hiccup hid is face in his arms and started shaking uncontrollably. She had no idea what to do anymore. Toothless tried calming him, licking his arms and head, and it surprisingly worked. Hiccup was still crying but he stopped screaming which was a relief. He looked at them and finally realised it was only his friends. And he also realised he was back on the Edge in his hut with Toothless by his side. Hiccup started to speak.

"I... I'm... I'm so sorry. I t-thought you were them. I thought y-you were going to h-hurt me..." Chocked Hiccup.

"It's okay, Hiccup. Really. We know you didn't mean it." Ruffnut said with understanding.

This only made Hiccup want to cry more but Astrid saw that and hugged him tight. He hugged back weakly and hid his face in her shoulder. After awhile, the gang decided to ask Hiccup what happened.

"What happened, Hiccup? What did they do to you?" Tuffnut asked in a soft voice. Everyone just stared at him, waiting for him to answer.

Hiccup started to shake. He couldn't. He couldn't tell them what happened. He just couldn't. So he lied.

"N-nothing. I'm fine."

"Hiccup... it wasn't nothing. I saw your bruises. They were everywhere! And your wrists..." said Astrid.

"They h-hit me, and they used ropes to tie me up. T-that's it." He said softly.

"What about the blood? Is it yours?" Snotlout asked next.

"N-no. It's not. There aren't any bleeding wounds on me right? So it's not mine. It was the pirates... I j-just got some on me... that's all." Hiccup replied.

"Why were the pirates bleeding anyway?" Ruffnut spoke.

"I-I d-don't know..."

"Hiccup. I remember you saying it hurts before you passed out. What hurt baby?" Astrid asked softly.

"My... my leg." It wasn't exactly a lie, because his leg did hurt, but that wasn't what he was referring to when he said it hurt. It was something else.

"Hiccup. I know there's something else that happened that you are not telling us. You can tell us baby. It's okay, we can help you." Said Astrid.

"No! That was all that happened. Nothing else! I'm really tired and I want to be alone. Please." Hiccup snapped. He was still shaking.

The gang decided that it was best to leave Hiccup alone so he could rest, so they left, leaving Toothless with him. Astrid stopped at his door to look at Hiccup one last time before leaving him alone. She knew Hiccup was not telling them something. She knew something more happened in that ship that he refuses to spill. But Hiccup was tired and exhausted, and needed lots of rest, so she decided not to force it out of him.

Once they were outside, Fishlegs finally spoke.

"I agree with you, Astrid. Hiccup isn't telling us something. It can't be just that. It must have been something much worse than that to make him act like that."

"I know, Fishlegs. I know. But we can't just force it out of him. He is already so frightened and fragile. We will wait until he is feeling better and let him tell us when he is ready." Replied Astrid.

"Agree!" The gang replied in unison.


	4. Chapter 4 - Cleaning Up

Hiccup was finally left alone in his hut. He was laying there on his bed on his side staring at Toothless who sat next to Hiccup with his head on the mattress. Hiccup had his right hand on top of Toothless' head. He tried to get some sleep but he couldn't. Because he couldn't help but think about how much he suffered in that ship every time he closed his eyes. He would get flashbacks. Horrible flashbacks.

The pain. The torturing. The humiliation.

Tears came down from his eyes and Hiccup started sobbing. He couldn't help it. It was just too horrible. He wished that he could have just died when he fought the Red Death, then he wouldn't have to go through this nightmare. But he did anyway, and it was just too much for him. Eventually his sobbing stopped, and that was when he realised he was dirty and covered with sweat and blood. He decided to go somewhere to clean himself up.

He got some clean clothes and a towel and put it in his satchel. It was hard to climb on top of Toothless because it hurt. Everywhere hurt. So bad. A few tears came rolling down his cheeks, but gritting his teeth, he was able to push himself up. He rest his head on top of Toothless' and just lay there panting. He wanted to scream because of the pain, but it was late so he didn't, afraid he might wake his friends up. After a few moments, he came out from his hut and flew away with Toothless.

Moments later, he arrived at the pond only he and Astrid knew about, and decided to wash up there. He took off all his clothes and got into the pond. Usually, he didn't mind if Astrid walked in on him when he was bathing. But right now, he just didn't want anyone to see him like that. To see his bruised covered skin. He didn't have to worry about that though, because he knew that other than Astrid, the gang didn't know about this place. This was his and Astrid's secret place to bathe, and it was late, so he knew Astrid would not come here to bathe at this time, so he wasn't worried about being seen.

He just sat there in the pond, doing nothing but stare into blank space. Toothless became worried and went to nudge Hiccup, which snapped Hiccup from his thoughts. When he turned to look at Toothless, Toothless saw a tear fall from his eyes. Toothless cooed at him and Hiccup just looked at him sadly, a few more tears falling down his cheeks. After a few moments, he finally began to clean himself up. He scrubbed himself everywhere. He made sure to scrub every part of him, to clean off the blood. Even that hurt. He kept wincing, but still made sure to scrub himself properly until the pond was slowly turning red from the blood. He was finally done with his body. Now it was time for his head. He painfully got up and walked to the waterfall. He just stood there letting the water clean his hair and face.

Suddenly he started to cry. He was crying loudly and just couldn't stop himself. And then he screamed from the top of his lungs, startling Toothless.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" He just kept screaming and didn't stop. He was angry, confused, exhausted, hurt, broken... Toothless just sat there and let his rider scream.

Eventually he stopped. He got out and changed and left with Toothless to his hut and fell asleep. But unfortunately it was full of nightmares.


	5. Chapter 5 - Nightmare

_He was back on the ship. They were hurting him... torturing him._

 _Slap._

 _"Stop fighting boy! It's no use! You can't win this!" The leader said._

 _"Yes, I can! I will win! My friends are going to find me, and they will save me!" Hiccup replied with anger._

 _Slap._

 _"No, they won't boy! They are never going to look for you. They are not coming for your rescue. You will be stuck here, forever! With me and the rest of my men." The leader replied with a smirk._

 _Slap. Slap. Slap._

"Hiccup!"

 _Slap. Slap. Slap._

"Hiccup!"

 _"You will give up boy. You can't handle this torture. You are simply too weak. Just face it! It's over for you!" The leader yelled._

 _"I. Am. Not. Weak." Hiccup said with gritted teeth._

 _Slap._

 _"Yes, you are. You will always be weak. That's just who you are. A lousy weak boy."_

 _Slap._

"Hiccup! Please!"

 _Slap._

 _It was too much. His cheeks hurt. He wanted to cry because it hurt so bad._

 _Slap._

 _"If you won't give up boy, I will find that precious little girlfriend of yours and hurt her!"_

 _Hiccup's eye widened._

 _"You wouldn't..." Hiccup replied._

 _"Oh yes I would. I found you. So who's to say I can't find her, too? I will capture her and torture her and make you watch!" The leader shouted._

"Hiccup! Please, baby wake up!"

 _Hiccup replied shaking his head._

 _"N-no... NO!"_

 _The leader only smirked and laugh._

"WAKE UP!"

Hiccup woke up, eyes wide and breathing fast. He was sweating. Astrid was sitting beside him looking at him with worry.

"Hiccup... you were breathing heavily so I tried waking you up but you didn't respond... you scared me..." Astrid said with tears in her eyes.

"I-I'm sorry... I had a n-nightmare... Sorry to worry you, baby." Hiccup replied softly.

"It's okay. How are you feeling?" She asked.

The truth is, he feels horrible. He knows he will never get over the torturing he suffered. But he didn't want to worry Astrid, so he lied.

"Better. I'm feeling better."

Astrid smiled.

"That's great! Do you want something to eat?"

"No. I'm not really hungry. You go ahead, okay? I'm just going to lie down for a bit longer. Don't worry about me." Hiccup replied.

Astrid nodded. Before she left his hut, she spoke again.

"If you need anything, just let me know. I love you, baby. You know that right?"

Hiccup froze. She loves him. He couldn't help but think that once she finds out what really happened in that ship, she will leave him and never love him again. He did his best to hold in the tears.

"I know... I love you, too Astrid." He replied softly before she left. When she did, a single tear rolled down his cheeks.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Talk

Two weeks has passed since Hiccup was rescued and he still wasn't himself. He rarely got out from his hut, and he hardly ever eats anymore. He has also been avoiding his friends, and every time they visit him at his hut, he would pretend to be asleep just so he didn't have to talk to them. The gang realised he has been avoiding them and decided to discuss about this situation.

"So... you guys noticed he has been avoiding us right? We have to do sometime about this!" Snotlout said.

"Yeah. I agree. I mean I understand why Hiccup wants to be alone. It's because something horrible happened to him and he just needs some time alone to think, but we can't just sit here and do nothing. We have to help him. He needs our help. Hiccup has been there for us when we needed him, and now it's time for us to be there for him when he needs us the most!" Fishlegs said seriously.

"I agree with you, Fishlegs. But how are we going to help him?" Astrid said.

"We can maybe go to his hut right now to talk to him? To let him know we want to help and he doesn't have to do this alone?" Tuffnut suggested.

"That's actually... not a bad idea Tuff. We can give that a shot." Fishlegs said.

The gang nodded.

A few minutes later, they were outside Hiccup's hut and were ready to go in.

"Now remember. Hiccup is still fragile right now, so we need to be gentle." Fishlegs said.

Everyone nodded and went inside.

Hiccup appeared to be sleeping. He was on his side facing the other way. Toothless looked up, saw his riders friends and pointed sadly towards Hiccup. Toothless knew Hiccup was awake and was trying to let them know. The gang understood and slowly approached Hiccup.

"Hiccup. We know you are awake. We also know that you have been avoiding us." Astrid spoke gently.

He didn't reply.

"Hiccup, we just wanted to let you know that we want to help you. We are your friends and we are always here to help. You don't have to do this alone. Please let us help you." Ruffnut said.

There was still no reply. But they waited. And after a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke but didn't move from his position.

"I lied Astrid. That day when you asked me how I was feeling, I said I was better but I'm not. I don't think I will ever feel better." Hiccup replied softly.

"Don't say that Hiccup. We can help you. And you will start to feel better in no time!" Astrid replied, trying to be cheerful.

"Y-you don't understand what they did to me. H-how much I have suffered." Hiccup replied with a quavering voice. And then he shouted, startling the gang.

"I will never get over it! I will never feel better!" He started crying and finally turned towards them.

"I... I lied. You were right. Even more happened in that ship! B-but I can't tell you! I just can't! It's too h-horrible! P-please understand! P-p-please don't make me tell you! Please!" He sobbed and begged.

Astrid approached him and hugged him tight, trying to comfort him.

The rest of the gang just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"It's okay, Hiccup. It's okay. We won't force you to tell. But you have to promise me that you will tell us when you are ready. Okay, baby?" She whispered.

He wiped his tears with his hands and nodded.


	7. Chapter 7 - Telling Stoick

A few days later, the gang decided that Stoick needed to know about what was happening with Hiccup, so they sent a terror mail to Berk telling him to come to the Edge.

Two days later, Stoick finally arrived to Dragon's Edge.

"Chief! You are here!" Snotlout said happily.

"Yes. I got your terror mail. What's wrong with Hiccup?" Stoick said worriedly.

The gang went silent. They really didn't know what to say... how to tell him... But after a few minutes of silence, Astrid spoke.

"Hiccup was captured a few weeks ago... by pirates. And... we really don't know what happened to him because he refuses to tell us but Hiccup isn't doing so good... he isn't himself. So... we just wanted you to know that."

Stoick's eyes widened in shock. His son was captured? By pirates? How did that happened?

"How... how did he get captured?" He asked.

"We weren't with him when he was captured. But we know that he was flying with Toothless when it happened." Astrid replied.

"Let me see him. I want to see my son." He said.

The gang nodded and he followed them to Hiccup's hut. He was about to go in when Fishlegs stopped him.

"Chief... Hiccup is really sensitive right now, so you need to be gentle with him. Don't force him to tell you what happened because that will only make things worse."

Stoick nodded and went inside. The gang stayed outside to give the Father and Son some privacy.

When he stepped inside Hiccup's hut, he saw his son laying in bed facing the other way. He wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not, but he decided to speak.

"Hiccup? Son?" He whispered.

Hiccup wasn't asleep so he heard him. He turned around.

"Dad?" He spoke so softly Stoick almost didn't hear.

"Son, I... I heard what happened. Do you want to talk about it?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup's lips started to quiver, indicating that he was about to cry, and Stoick didn't fail to notice that.

"It's okay if you don't want to... I understand." He quickly said.

"N-no... I don't want to talk about it... I'm... I'm not ready yet..." Hiccup said with a few tears rolling down his cheeks. He turned away from his dad and lay back down.

"Then don't, son. You don't have to tell me." Stoick said with understanding.

A few minutes has passed and none of them said a word. Stoick decided to go over the other side so he could get a better look at his son.

Stoick sighed. Hiccup's eyes were puffy from crying, and there were bags under his eyes from all the sleepless nights. Hiccup was staring at his dad with sadness in his eyes.

The truth is, Hiccup was glad that his dad was here with him right now. He really missed his dad a lot and seeing him now made him feel a little better.

"I'm really happy you are here right now, Dad. I missed you." Hiccup whispered.

"I missed you, too Son." Stoick said with a big smile on his face.

A few minutes later, Hiccup got up and hugged his father really tight. Stoick hugged back immediately. After a while, Hiccup started crying. It surprised Stoick at first, but he just hugged him and let him cry on his shoulder until he eventually fell asleep. Stoick covered Hiccup with his blanket and left his hut to talk to the others.

Minutes later, he arrived at the clubhouse where the gang were at.

"So... how did it go Chief?" Tuffnut asked.

"Well... you were right, he doesn't look so good. He was crying. A lot. But he is asleep now. Has he been like this ever since you rescued him?"

"Yeah. I've never actually seen Hiccup cry this much before. It really worries me. We are dying to know what those pirates did to him but he just doesn't want to tell us." Snotlout answered.

Stoick thought for a moment.

"If he ever tells you what happened, please let me know. I want those pirates to pay for what they did to my son. But not until I know what they did to Hiccup." Stoick said seriously.

"Of course." Everyone nodded.

After that, Stoick got on Skullcrusher and was ready to leave. He wanted to stay here longer to be with Hiccup but he was chief, and was needed at Berk, so he had to leave. But before he left, he spoke again.

"Please do update me about Hiccup. I want to know how he is doing."

"Sure. We will send you a terror mail once in a while to update you about Hiccup." Astrid said with a small smile.

Stoick smiled back and left.


	8. Chapter 8 - Trusting Astrid

_He was finally left alone in the basement._

 _Pain. His cheeks hurt from the slapping, his whole body hurt from the punching and kicking he received from the pirates. He couldn't even move himself without feeling any pain. It was impossible. He wanted to cry but he did his best not to. He didn't want to cry in front of the pirates, because that will only prove that he is indeed weak, so he did his best to stay strong._

 _Hiccup was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed. He was exhausted and in so much pain. He actually wasn't sure if he could take it anymore. He needed to get out of here. He knew he was in a ship, so there was no way of escaping, but he thought that maybe he could jump out of the ship and swim to an island and hope his friends would find him there. It was risky but he was going to try anyway. Right now, he would do anything to get away from the pirates._

 _He painfully got up and ran as fast as he could to the deck. He was quick enough to avoid being caught by the pirates along the way. He was almost there. Just a few more steps and he would be able to jump out of this ship. But unfortunately someone grabbed him before he could. It was the leader. He fought. He tried kicking but it was no use._

 _"Did you really think you could escape? How stupid of you boy." The leader said with a laugh._

 _"I didn't want to do this but I guess you leave me with no choice." He yanked his prosthetic off and threw it in the sea._

 _"Now you can't escape!" He laughed evilly._

 _No. Now he can never escape. He is officially stuck in this ship until his friends find him. Great._

 _The leader grabbed Hiccup and threw him into the basement. Hiccup landed on the floor facing down, and before he could get up, the leader got on top of him with a knife in hand. He froze and started to panic._

 _"Let this be a lesson to you. Never try to escape again." He creepily whispered into Hiccup's ear._

 _He lifted Hiccup's tunic up, pointed the knife to his upper back and stabbed him._

Hiccup shot up in bed, eyes wide and breathing fast. Another nightmare... a flashback. Suddenly, he started to cry. He just wanted the horrible nightmare to stop. It was simply too much for him. He was tired of crying, too, but he just couldn't control himself and that annoyed him.

After awhile, he finally stopped crying, and that was when he remembered the stab wound on his upper back. The leader only wanted to teach Hiccup a lesson, not to make him bleed to death, so after he stabbed him, he got his men to clean his wound. That reminds him... he needed someone to check his wound, to see if it is healing. But then he remembered that nobody knew about the wound. He sighed. He thought for a moment and decided that he would tell Astrid about this. Astrid is his girlfriend and he knows he can trust her. And of course he won't tell her everything that happened yet, because he still wasn't ready, but he was going to take it slow.

It was evening, so his friends were probably back in their huts. He decided to look for Astrid in her hut. He got up and knelt down in front of Toothless who was laying on the floor.

"Toothless, bud... I'm going to Astrid's hut to talk to her. W-will you come with me? I... I'll feel safer if you walk with me." He told him. He was still scared. He was afraid to be all alone. As long as someone was with him, he will feel safer, which is why ever since he was rescued, he wouldn't allow Toothless to leave his side.

Toothless cooed at him and got up. He rubbed his head on Hiccup before walking towards the door. Hiccup smiled.

"Thanks, bud." He said warmly. He got up and followed Toothless to the door and left.

He was now outside Astrid's hut. He was nervous. Really nervous. He has no idea how Astrid would react, but he knows he can trust her. Astrid trusts him, so he can trust her, too. He knocked on her door. He heard footsteps from inside, and the door opened.

"Hiccup? What's wrong?" Astrid asked. She could tell he had been crying.

"Can... can I come in?" He asked her softly.

"Sure, Hiccup. Of course." She answered.

Astrid moved aside for Hiccup and Toothless to come in before closing the door. When Astrid turned around, she saw him standing beside her bed. He looked like he was thinking about something. Toothless went to the corner of her room to lie down.

"Hiccup? Is... everything okay?" She asked.

He didn't know how to say this, so he decided to ask something else first.

"Um... where is dad?"

"Your dad already left... in the afternoon." She answered.

"Oh... okay." He said softly.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again.

"I... I need to talk to you about something."

Astrid nodded and gestured him towards the bed to sit.

"So... what do you need to talk about?" Astrid asked him.

He closed his eyes and paused for a moment.

"It's okay. Take your time." Astrid told him and rest her hand on his.

Hiccup looked up and smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. He can do this.

"When I was captured, I... I tried to escape. But I... failed. I was caught by one of the pirates, and he... he stabbed me... to teach me a lesson." He spoke and looked away, feeling ashamed.

Astrid was shocked. She doesn't remember seeing any stab wounds on him. So she asked him.

"Where? Where were you stabbed?"

"My upper back." He answered.

That would explain why she didn't see the wound. She didn't lift his tunic up all the way so she must have missed it.

"Oh my Thor. Are... are you okay? Are you in pain?" Astrid asked worriedly.

"I'm... I'm fine, Astrid. The pirates cleaned it for me because they didn't want me to bleed to death. But... but I was hoping you could check... to see if it is healing."

"Of course, Hiccup." Astrid nodded and replied.

Hiccup turned around and lifted his tunic all the way up. Astrid looked at his back closely. The wound was healing. It looked painful but it was healing.

"Does it hurt, baby?" She asked.

"Yeah... it still hurts a little."

"Well... it's healing, so you don't have to worry." She said with a smile. And then she checked his body. The bruises were fading. That was a relief.

"Your bruises are fading, too. That's good!" She said happily.

Hiccup smiled and pushed down his tunic. He turned around to face her.

"Thank you, Astrid." He said with a small smile and grabbed her hands.

"Can... can you keep this between us? I'm still not ready for the others to know yet. Please?"

"Of course. This is between you and me. I'm glad you told me this, Hiccup." She said.

He smiled and hugged her tight. She hugged him back.

"Can I stay here tonight Astrid?" He asked softly. Astrid smirked.

"I would love for you to stay, baby." She said.

They cuddled and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.


	9. Chapter 9 - Happy Memories

_They were cleaning his stab wound. It hurt so bad. He kept wincing every time they touched it. He did his best to hold in the tears threatening to fall. After what felt like hours, they were finally done, and they left the basement. He sighed in relief._

 _He thought he would be left alone for the rest of the day, but he was wrong._

 _He fell asleep shortly after the pirates left him, but about half and hour later, he was woken up by the leader._

 _"Wake up, boy! Let's have some fun, shall we?" He shouted._

 _Hiccup's eyes shot open. No. He was going to hurt him. Again. He started to panic. The leader noticed that and laughed. His men came from behind him and tied Hiccup's wrist with ropes. He tried fighting but it was no use. They were too strong._

 _Slap. Slap. Slap._

 _They all laughed._

 _Slap. Slap. Slap._

 _He wished they would just stop. This was embarrassing. And it was also painful. But he wasn't going to give up. And he will not beg for them to stop. He is strong, he can take this._

 _The slapping went on for another few minutes and then it stopped. His cheeks felt like they were burning, but he was glad that it finally stopped._

 _They were all laughing at him, but he just sat there and glared at them. He hated them so much._

 _"Did you enjoy that boy? It looked like you did. I bet you enjoy getting hurt. Don't worry, we are not finished yet." The leader spoke and laughed evilly._

 _Hiccup was so angry, he tried using his right leg to kick the leader but missed. The leader stopped laughing and glared at him. Hiccup was actually scared right now but he tried not to show it._

 _The leader got his men to hold Hiccup down, and then he knelt in front of him. He took out his knife, and placed it at Hiccup throat. He panicked._

 _"If you move or fight back, I will slice your throat. Do you understand?" The leader warned him._

 _Hiccup's eyes widened in fear._

Hiccup woke up screaming, waking Astrid who was sleeping next to him.

"Hiccup! What's wrong?!" Astrid asked worriedly.

But when they met eye contact, Hiccup got out of bed and backed away towards the wall. He was shaking uncontrollably and he started to sob.

"P-please don't hurt me! Please just leave me alone!" He shouted at her. He sat on the floor and hid his face in his arms and pulled his hair.

"Hiccup! It's... it's me, baby... it's only me. I'm not going to hurt you. You know I will never hurt you. Ever." She spoke and started to approach him.

Hiccup only started to sob louder. And then he screamed. He screamed so loud, Astrid was sure he woke everyone up. She didn't know what to do anymore. She looked at Toothless, hoping he knew what to do to calm his rider. He tried licking and nudging him but it didn't work. That was when she really started to panic. But while she was thinking of what to do next, her door slammed open. She turned around and saw the gang. They must have heard his screams and were worried.

"Oh Thor!" Fishlegs said with wide eyes. Snotlout and the Twins gasped.

"What happened?!" Ruffnut asked Astrid urgently.

"I was sleeping when he started screaming! But I think he had a nightmare. And now he thinks I'm going to hurt him!" Astrid said sadly.

Ruffnut thought for a moment.

"Let me give it a shot." She said. She began to approach Hiccup.

"Hey, Hiccup. It's me, Ruffnut! Don't you worry, I'm not going to hurt you... I just want to comfort you." She spoke calmly and slowly reached her hand to touch him. When she did, Hiccup only moved further away from her in panic. Ruffnut sighed. At least she tried. Then she looked at the gang.

"So do you guys have any other ideas?" Ruffnut asked.

Snotlout and Tuffnut shook their heads. They had no idea what to do. But Fishlegs was thinking hard, and then he finally spoke.

"I... I think I might have an idea. Right now, Hiccup is only thinking about the bad things... the things that happened when he was captured. So we need to help him think about the good things. Like all the fun memories we had together, you know? If he focuses on those happy memories, then maybe it will help him to calm down, and then he will realise we are his friends and that we are not here to hurt him." He suggested.

The gang thought for a moment and decided it was worth a shot. So they started talking to Hiccup, telling him about the happy moments they had together.

"Hiccup... Remember the time you asked me to be your girlfriend and I said yes? You were so happy and you couldn't stop smiling the whole day. I was actually waiting for you to ask me for a long time, and I was so happy when you finally did. Words can't even describe how happy I am when I'm with you. And I can never forget that big adorable smile on your face." Astrid said with a smile.

Hiccup looked up. He still looked really scared. He was still crying but he stopped screaming which was a good sign. Fishlegs spoke next.

"Do you remember the time we discovered a new species of dragons, Hiccup? We were both so excited! We couldn't even stop talking about them!" He said happily.

"Remember the time we fought off those dragon hunter ships together? I was un... I mean we were unstoppable!" Snotlout said with a smirk.

"What about the time we almost burned down the Edge?" Tuffnut said with a smile.

"Yeah! We all had fun putting out the fire! You had fun, right Hiccup?" Ruffnut said happily.

Hiccup just stared at them, still crying. But he didn't look so scared anymore. And slowly, he started to smile a little. It was working. Eventually he stopped crying, and was just sitting against the wall smiling at them. That was when Astrid decided to approach him.

"Hiccup... don't be scared okay? I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." She reached out her hand and pulled him towards her and hugged him tightly. He hugged back weakly. They did it. They were able to calm Hiccup down.

After awhile, the gang returned to their huts. Astrid brought Hiccup back to her bed and they went back to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10 - A Turn For The Worse

It has been two months since Hiccup was rescued. He would still cry sometimes and have horrible nightmares, but he was getting a little bit better each week. He still wasn't himself, but he started leaving his hut more often. He still wouldn't tell them what happened, but the gang has been patient and has never forced him to tell. Hiccup appreciated that a lot.

Astrid has also been sending terror mails to Stoick once every two weeks updating him about how Hiccup was doing.

Just when they thought he was getting better, things took a turn for the worse.

One day, they were having lunch at the clubhouse. Hiccup still didn't eat much, so he only ate a few bites and just stared at his food while the rest of the gang were chatting happily. And then Snotlout decided to speak.

"You know what? This is getting really annoying Hiccup! It's been two months already! Just tell us what those pirates did to you! Is it so hard?!" He shouted.

Everyone looked up.

"We have been really patient with you, but this is too much! I mean it isn't so hard to tell somebody what happened! Just tell us already! You are wasting our time!" Snotlout continued to shout.

"Snotlout!" Fishlegs yelled.

"What is wrong with you, Snotlout?! Hiccup will tell us when he is ready! Don't force him!" Astrid yelled.

Hiccup was silent. He didn't say a word.

"I'm just really annoyed with him right now! And maybe Hiccup is just overreacting. Whatever happened to him was probably nothing serious! He is just a big baby who can't handle anything." Snotlout said angrily.

Hiccup's eyes widened.

"You know, maybe you deserved it! Maybe you deserved whatever those pirates did to you in that ship!" Snotlout said without thinking.

The gang gasped.

"How could you say that!" Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, you don't even know what happened! What if it was something really really bad?!" Ruffnut said angrily.

Just when Astrid was about to speak, Hiccup banged his fist on the table and got up.

"How could you say such a thing, Snotlout! You have no idea how much I've suffered in that ship! You have no idea what they did to me! Why did you have to say that?! Why?! Nobody deserves to go through what I did. Even the most horrible person in the world don't deserve to go through such torture!" Hiccup shouted and glared at Snotlout. He was starting to tremble.

"Yeah, I have no idea what happened because you refuse to tell us! Just man up and tell us already!" Snotlout shouted back.

Hiccup was so angry, he walked to Snotlout and pushed him with all the strength he got and screamed. But Snotlout didn't fight back because he was shocked. This was the first time Hiccup has ever done such a thing, so it surprised him. The rest of the gang just sat there and watched them in shock. Hiccup was about to leave the clubhouse when he spoke.

"I hate you, Snotlout! You hear me? I hate you! I hate you so much!" Hiccup shouted and left the clubhouse with Toothless.

When he left, Astrid finally spoke.

"Look at what you've done, Snotlout! What is wrong with you? You just had to make things worse, huh Snotlout?! Don't you dare go near him ever again!" She yelled and left the clubhouse to look for Hiccup. The others glared at Snotlout and left, leaving him alone in the clubhouse. He sighed.

"What have I done?" He said to himself.

Hiccup was back in his hut. He was screaming and banging his fists on the wall until it hurt. He rested his forehead on the wall and started to cry. His desk was right next to him, so he kicked it with anger. And then something dropped.

It was a knife. When he saw it, a memory suddenly came back to him.

 _He was 15 years old. It was before he found Toothless. He was in his room sitting on the floor against his bed. He was crying with a knife in hand. It was the day he shot down Toothless but nobody believed him. It was also the day he finally gave up, because he just couldn't take it anymore. He was going to end his life._

He was about to reach out for the knife when Astrid came in.

"Hiccup? A-are you okay?" She asked. Hiccup turned around to look at her. He quickly hid the knife with his right foot. His eyes were puffy and his face was wet from the crying. Hiccup shook his head. He was not okay. His lips started to quiver. Astrid approached him and hugged him.

"Don't listen to Snotlout. Don't listen to whatever he said. Okay?" She let him cry on her shoulder.


	11. Chapter 11 - Giving Up

Hiccup was left alone for the rest of the afternoon, and didn't come out for dinner because he told them he wasn't hungry.

It was almost midnight. Hiccup was in his hut, sitting on the floor against his bed. He was staring at Toothless who was sleeping in the corner of his hut. And then he closed his eyes. He couldn't do it anymore. He was tired of fighting. He gave up. He took the knife that was laying beside him and pointed it at his wrist. Tears were streaming down his face. He was trembling. He took in a deep breath and cut his right wrist. It hurt. It hurt so bad, but he didn't care anymore. And then he did it again.

Suddenly, Toothless woke up to the smell of blood. Hiccup's blood. He got up, saw Hiccup with a knife and panicked. He decided to get the others for help. A few minutes later, Toothless came back with the others following behind. Everyone gasped.

"Oh my Thor! Hiccup! What are you doing?!" Astrid yelled in panic.

"Don't! Don't come any closer or I will cut myself more!" Hiccup yelled back.

The gang froze. They didn't dare go any closer. They just stood there with wide eyes.

"Hiccup! You are going to bleed to death! Just calm down and give us the knife." Fishlegs said worriedly.

"I know. I've done this before. I know this could kill me." Hiccup said calmly. They all froze. He has done this before? And then Fishlegs spoke.

"What... what do you mean you have done this before? Hiccup, a-are you saying..."

"Yes. This isn't the first time... I tried to kill myself before." Hiccup spoke softly and calmly.

"What?! When?!" Ruffnut asked.

Hiccup closed his eyes. He was getting really tired from the blood loss.

"When I was 15. Before I found Toothless in the woods. I had nobody! No friends! I was always alone! Everybody hated me! I was always bullied and hurt by you guys! And then one day I just couldn't take it anymore!" Hiccup said bitterly and turned to look at Astrid who had a shocked face.

"I thought you would have noticed the scar, Astrid." He said softly.

"That... that faint scar on your wrist? I noticed that but I thought you got that from the forge!" Astrid said.

He closed his eyes again. He felt so weak, he feels he could pass out any moment.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. I c-can't stop thinking about what they did to me. I tried... I tried so h-hard but I just can't get over it. I'm sorry." He said with trembling lips. He couldn't stop crying.

And then he cut himself again. Everyone panicked.

"STOP!" They screamed in unison.

"If this is because of what I said, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Hiccup! I shouldn't have said all that! Please don't do this! I am begging you!" Snotlout said desperately.

Hiccup didn't answer. He only stared at him. He was about to cut himself again when Astrid spoke.

"Remember what you promised me, Hiccup? Remember what you promised me on that night you said you would never forget? That night you said you loved me like a million times?" Astrid said urgently, but with a smile when she thought about that very night.

Hiccup looked up. Memories of that amazing unforgettable night brought a small smile to his lips. Astrid spoke again.

"You promised me that you would never leave me! That we would always be together no matter what! If you kill yourself, that means you are leaving me... which would mean you break your promise." Astrid said to him.

Hiccup's smile faded. She was right. If he kills himself, he would break his promise, and Astrid would be all alone. He can't do this to Astrid. She doesn't deserve this.

"I... I'm so sorry! I wasn't thinking." Hiccup said with a trembling voice. His grip on the knife slowly loosened. Astrid saw that and approached him slowly. She gently took the knife from his trembling hands, placed it on the floor and pushed it as far away from him as she could. She then applied pressure on his cuts while Fishlegs went to get some bandages. Snotlout just stood there, still shocked from what was happening, while the Twins also helped to apply pressure on the cuts because he was bleeding too much. There was a large amount of blood on the floor and some of it got on his pants and tunic as well. Hiccup was still crying and shaking. He looked so pale. He was loosing too much blood and that scared Astrid.

Fishlegs finally returned with bandages and started cleaning his cuts. Fishlegs was bandaging Hiccup's wrist when he suddenly spoke.

"I'm so t-tired." He said weakly.

"It's okay, baby. Everything will be fine. Just stay with me, okay? Just keep looking at me." Astrid wiped her blood-soaked hands on her shirt before cupping his cheeks.

Hiccup struggled to keep his eyes open. He tried so hard but he just couldn't keep it open any longer. Slowly, his eyes started to close and the gang panicked.

"Hiccup? Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. But Hiccup already passed out.


	12. Chapter 12 - Scared

Hiccup was lying on his bed unconscious. Astrid was sitting beside him on his bed holding his hand while the others went back to their huts to clean themselves up. She was still shocked from what had happened earlier. She almost lost someone she loves so much, and that scared her a lot.

The gang returned not long after they left. When Astrid saw Snotlout, she immediately got up.

"Get out! None of this would have happened if it wasn't for you!" Astrid raised her voice.

"I'm sorry! I never wanted this to happen!" Snotlout said sadly.

"Well, it happened! So get out! Please!" Astrid glared at him. Snotlout sighed and turned towards the door.

"I... I hope he wakes up soon." He said before he left.

After a moment of silence, Ruffnut spoke.

"Maybe you should get yourself cleaned up, Astrid. Don't worry about Hiccup. We will be here looking after him while you are gone."

Astrid thought for a moment before nodding and leaving his hut.

When she left, Tuffnut spoke.

"We almost lost Hiccup. I was so scared when I saw him with that knife... when I saw so much blood." He said softly, closing his eyes. Fishlegs walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We were all scared, Tuffnut." Fishlegs said. And then Ruffnut approached them and they all stared at each other sadly.

Astrid sat on her bed the moment she reached her own hut. She then buried her face in her hands and started to cry. She has never experienced something so scary in her entire life. She had no idea that Hiccup was so broken to the point where he thought that ending his life was the best option. Hiccup means so much to her, so she wasn't going to give up on him. She was going to do whatever it takes to help him get through this. It won't be easy and it will take a lot of time for Hiccup to heal, but she will always be there for him until the end.

After she stopped crying, she cleaned herself up and went back to Hiccup's hut. Everyone except Snotlout stayed with Hiccup until the next morning when he woke up.


	13. Chapter 13 - Stay

"Hiccup! You are awake!" Fishlegs said with joy.

"How are you feeling?" Astrid asked. She placed a hand on his chest, waiting for his reply.

"Tired." He said weakly. He still looked pale and weak.

"Then we will leave you alone so you can rest. Okay?" Astrid said.

"Yeah, we will come back later to check on you!" Ruffnut said with a smile.

They were about to leave when Hiccup grabbed Astrid's hand. She turned around.

"Don't go, Astrid. P-please don't leave me." Hiccup said weakly but desperately.

"Okay, I won't leave. I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere." She held his hand tight. She then turned to the others.

"You guys go ahead." She told the gang. They all nodded and left his hut to get breakfast.

Hiccup looked at Astrid and smiled weakly. She smiled back.

"Thank you." He whispered before falling asleep.

Hiccup woke up in the afternoon. Astrid was sitting beside Hiccup on his bed, and she had no idea he woke up until he called her name.

"Astrid?" She looked down and saw his green eyes.

"Hey, baby." She replied sweetly. That made him smile. But after awhile, his smile faded. Astrid saw that and decided to ask him what was wrong.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" She asked with concern. He closed his eyes and spoke.

"I'm... I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't know what I was thinking. I... I just..."

"It's okay, Hiccup. You are just going through a lot right now. I don't blame you. I'm just glad we didn't lose you." She said while caressing his pale cheeks. He gave her a small smile. She saw a tear roll down his cheeks.

"I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Astrid. I love you so much, baby. Words can't even describe how much I love you." He said softly. A few more tears rolled down his cheeks. Hearing Hiccup say that made her so happy. It brought a big smile on her face.

"I love you too, Hiccup. I love you with all my heart." They cuddled until they both eventually fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14 - Forgiven

A week has passed since the incident in Hiccup's hut. He has been having a lot of nightmares recently, but Astrid has always been there for him whenever he woke up screaming or crying.

One day, everyone except Hiccup was at the clubhouse having breakfast when Snotlout spoke.

"Look guys. I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said all those awful things to Hiccup. I know what I did was wrong. Can you guys please let me see him. I want to apologise to him. I feel really bad." Snotlout said to them. Everyone stared at him. They thought for a moment.

"Fine. You can see him. But if you hurt him in any way, I will make you pay." Astrid said fiercely. He nodded with wide eyes. That scared him. He knows she could be really scary when she is angry, so he was definitely not going to do anything that will make her mad. After they were done with breakfast, Snotlout went to Hiccup's hut while the others stayed at the clubhouse. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He saw Hiccup lying on his side facing the other way, but when he walked inside, Hiccup turned around. His eyes widened when he saw Snotlout.

"What do you want, Snotlout?" He said bitterly.

"I came here to apologise. I shouldn't have said all those mean and horrible things and I'm really really sorry. I hope you can forgive me... but I understand if you can't." Snotlout said sincerely. Hiccup was silent. He stared at him and thought for a moment. After awhile, he finally spoke.

"I hope you know that what you said really hurt me. But you are my friend, and I can't stay angry at you for so long. So I forgive you, Snotlout. But I want you to know that I will never forget what you did to me." He said firmly. That brought a small smile on Snotlout's face. He was happy that Hiccup forgave him for doing something so awful. He has learned his lesson, and he knows he would never make the same mistake again.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Hiccup! I am never going to hurt you like that again! I promise!" Snotlout said with joy. That made Hiccup laugh a little.

"And... I'm sorry I pushed you. I shouldn't have done that." Hiccup said with a small frown.

"That's okay. I deserved that anyway." Snotlout said. And then they both chuckled.

"So... are we good?" Snotlout said putting out his hand. Hiccup looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah. We are good." Hiccup said, shaking his hand. They smiled at each other happily.


	15. Chapter 15 - Bad News

It has been a week since Snotlout apologised to Hiccup, which would mean that two and a half months has passed since Hiccup was rescued.

Astrid has realised that Hiccup has been having more nightmares than before. Most days he wouldn't even come out from his hut at all, which worried Astrid a lot. But Astrid and the gang has been very supportive and has always tried to help him in any way they could.

One day, the gang decided that it was time to tell Stoick what happened two weeks ago, so they sent a terror mail to Stoick, telling him to come to Dragon's Edge. He arrived two days later.

"I came here as soon as I could. Is everything okay?" Stoick asked.

"Um... no. Not really..." Fishlegs replied nervously.

"What do you mean? Is Hiccup okay?" Stoick asked worriedly. The gang stared at him with a sad look. That made Stoick even more worried.

"Will someone just please tell me what's wrong!" Stoick demanded. Astrid sighed and spoke.

"Two weeks ago, Hiccup tried to kill himself. He cut his wrist, and he was bleeding a lot. But we managed to save him in time. Thanks to Toothless, because if it wasn't for him, we would probably be too late." She closed her eyes. She didn't mention about his suicide attempt in the past, because that happened a long time ago, and she felt it was best if Hiccup told him himself in his own time.

Stoick was shocked. His son tried to end his life? Something really bad must have happened to him in that ship that would make him want to do such a thing. Stoick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Has he told you guys what happened?" He asked.

"No." Astrid whispered.

"Can I see him?" Stoick asked.

"He actually doesn't know you are here, but I'm sure he would love to see you." Ruffnut said with a smile. Stoick smiled back and left to see Hiccup, while the rest of the gang stayed at the clubhouse.

Stoick arrived at Hiccup's hut, and found him sitting on his bed, petting Toothless' head. When Stoick saw his son, he immediately noticed that he was thinner and paler than before, and that worried him.

Hiccup looked up when he heard someone come in. When he saw his dad, he gave him a thin smile. Stoick walked to him and sat on the edge of Hiccup's bed, but Hiccup didn't look at him in the eye. Stoick let out a sigh and spoke.

"So... how have you been feeling, son?" He asked. After a few minutes of silence, Hiccup answered.

"I... I've been fine." He said softly, still avoiding eye contact.

"That's good." Stoick said. But he knew his son was not fine at all. If he was, then he wouldn't have tried to commit suicide. After a long silence, Stoick spoke again.

"Son, I know what happened two weeks ago." He said. Hiccup still didn't look at him.

"I want you to know that I'm not mad at you. I know you are going through a lot right now, so I understand that it must have been too much for you to handle. But you have me, your friends, and Astrid. So you don't have to do this alone. Just remember that, son." Stoick said. After a moment of silence, a loud sob escaped Hiccup's lips. He covered his face with his hands.

"I... I'm so sorry, dad! I'm sorry!" He sobbed and wiped his wet face. Stoick hugged him tightly and let him cry.

"It's okay, son. It's okay." He said softly.

After awhile, he finally stopped crying and eventually fell asleep. Stoick left his hut to meet with the others, and later that day, he flew back to Berk.


	16. Chapter 16 - He's Ready

It has been three months since Hiccup was rescued.

It was past midnight. Everyone was sleeping peacefully in their huts, except for one dragon rider...

 _"Stop! P-please!" He couldn't stop the tears running down his face. He squeezed his eyes shut. The pain was too much. He has never been so humiliated in his entire life. He tried his best to hold in the tears, but he just couldn't do it._

 _"Please... please just stop!" He sobbed. But he didn't listen. He just kept hurting him. The pain was excruciating, and he felt so weak and useless because he couldn't even fight back._

 _"Look at you. So weak. Crying like a baby. Your girlfriend will not want you now. She is going to leave you, and she will find someone much better than you. And you are not going to be rescued because your friends don't even care about you. You have to accept that you will be stuck here with us for the rest of your life." The leader whispered in Hiccup's ear._

 _Hiccup believed him. He believed everything he said. He closed his eyes. He was never going to see Astrid, Toothless, his friends, or his dad ever again._

Hiccup woke up, heart pounding and sweating profusely. He sat up and started to cry. He wishes the nightmares would stop. He has been trying so hard to forget the torturing he suffered, but the horrible memories just kept coming back to him.

After awhile, he decided he wanted to see Astrid, because seeing Astrid always makes him feel a little better. He got out of bed and rushed to Astrid's hut with Toothless following behind.

He knocked on Astrid's door.

"Astrid?" He called softly. He knocked again.

"Astrid? Please, I need you." He said with a quavering voice. He rest his forehead on her door and started to whimper. And then the door opened.

"Hiccup?" She gasped.

Hiccup immediately hugged her and started to sob loudly. Astrid hugged him back tightly and tried comforting him by rubbing his back. After awhile, they ended up sitting on the floor with Hiccup resting his head on Astrid's chest while she held him tightly. His tears wouldn't stop falling, but he was happy that Astrid was here with him right now. When he finally stopped crying, Astrid brought him to her bed and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Hiccup was still asleep when Astrid woke up. She decided to let him rest longer while she went to the clubhouse to get breakfast with the others.

They were almost done with breakfast when Hiccup suddenly walked in. They all looked at him. They could tell he had a rough night.

"I... I think I'm ready to tell you guys what happened while I was captured." He said softly. Everyone looked at each other with wide eyes.


	17. Chapter 17 - What Really Happened

They were in Hiccup's hut. He and Astrid were sitting on his bed, while the rest of the gang gathered around him.

The truth is, he really didn't want to tell them what happened, but he thought that maybe telling someone would help him overcome it.

After a long moment of silence, Hiccup finally spoke.

"I... I was tortured. Humiliated. He... he beat me up. He... hurt me." He said looking down with his eyes closed. The gang knew he wasn't finished so they stayed quiet. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up with tears in his eyes.

"I was raped. He raped me." He whispered with a quavering voice. Everyone gasped. Their eyes widened in shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Fishlegs covered his mouth with trembling hands and had tears in his eyes. Snotlout backed away in shock. Ruffnut and Tuffnut's jaw dropped in surprise. Astrid shook her head in disbelief and tears blurred her vision.

"It h-hurt. It hurt so bad and I j-just wanted him to stop. You have n-no idea how much I begged him to stop but he just wouldn't listen to me. He raped me over and over again, and I f-felt so disgusting. He let them watch. He let everyone watch me get raped. It was so humiliating. H-he got the others to hold me still to keep me from struggling too much and he gagged me because he said I was screaming too loud. And he never stopped t-touching me. He touched me everywhere! I hate him! I hate all of them! I hate them so much!" He sobbed loudly.

They were speechless. Fishlegs turned away and started crying. Snotlout squeezed his eyes shut and did his best to hold back the tears. Ruffnut used her hands to cover her ears and whimpered, while Tuffnut hugged her sister tightly. Astrid kept sniffling and wiping her tears. She wanted to hug Hiccup but he flinched at her touch, so she decided to speak instead.

"Hiccup... I'm s-so sorry you had to go through something so traumatising. I wish there was s-something I could do to make you feel better." She whispered, voice trembling.

"I w-wish that all of this is just a horrible n-nightmare. P-please make me wake up from this nightmare. I w-want to wake up." He sobbed. Astrid looked at him sadly. They both knew that this was not a dream.

"I'm so sorry, baby." Astrid said quietly. She couldn't stop herself from crying. Hiccup sobbed louder and hugged her.

"P-please don't leave me, Astrid. Please don't leave me because of this. I need you! Please!" Hiccup hugged her tighter and sobbed on her shoulder. Astrid was surprised he would think that she was going to leave him because he was raped. She was never going to leave him. Ever.

"I'm not going to leave you, Hiccup. Why would you even think that?!" She said. Hiccup didn't reply. He only continued to sob. After awhile, Astrid spoke when she finally stopped crying.

"Was... was the one who raped you the leader?" She asked softly, still hugging him tightly. She felt him nod. She sighed and closed her eyes. Not only was Hiccup traumatised, but now they were all traumatised after hearing what he went through.

About half an hour later when everyone calmed down, the gang approached Hiccup and gave a group hug.

"We are going to get through this together, Hiccup. We are your friends, and we will do everything we can to help you." Fishlegs said softly.

That night, they all decided to stay in Hiccup's hut.

But what they didn't know was that Hiccup didn't tell them everything. He wanted to, but he just couldn't bring himself to say it.


	18. Chapter 18 - Breaking the News to Stoick

It has been three days since Hiccup told them what happened. That afternoon, he told them he was ready to tell his dad, so they sent a terror mail to Stoick.

Two days later he arrived at Dragon's Edge looking very nervous. The gang greeted Stoick, and walked with him to Hiccup's hut. They stayed outside while Stoick went inside. Hiccup was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, but looked at his dad when he heard someone come in. Hiccup sighed. He was afraid of how his dad would react. He was afraid that his dad would disown him because he got himself raped. He didn't want to tell his dad anything, but after the conversation he had with Astrid just the other day, she was able to convince him that telling him was the right thing to do because he is the chief, and he is also his dad. He needed to know. He got his dad to sit on a chair and told him what he told the gang.

Stoick was shocked. He was also angry. Not at his son, but at the pirates who captured him, and especially the leader who raped him. Hiccup is his son, and the future Chief of Berk, how dare they do such a thing to him. This was just unforgivable.

Stoick was also heartbroken when his son asked him if he was going to disown him. Of course he wasn't going to disown him. Why would he do that just because his son was raped? He sighed. They must be punished for what they did to his son. And he knew exactly how he was going to punish them.

He waited for Hiccup to fall asleep before leaving his hut to meet with the others outside. He told them he needed some time alone to think, so the gang decided to wait for him at the clubhouse.

After awhile, Stoick came inside the clubhouse and told them how he was going to punish those pirates, and the gang all agreed with their Chief.

It was late afternoon when Stoick decided to go back to Berk to settle some things.

"I have to leave now. Like what we discussed earlier, I will break the news to your parents and Gobber only. Remember that what happened to Hiccup is between us. No one other than me, your parents, Gobber and you all know about this. Make sure no one else finds out about the rape. Don't accidentally let out this information. Hiccup wouldn't want everyone on Berk to know, so do this for him." Stoick said while patting Skullcrusher. They all nodded.

"One more thing. Don't tell Hiccup anything we discussed today. He already has a lot in his mind right now. I need some time to discuss this with the adults, so come back to Berk in a week, and then I will tell him our plan." He said before getting on Skullcrusher. The teens nodded before he flew off.


	19. Chapter 19 - The Plan

A week has passed since Hiccup told Stoick what happened, so it was time for them to go back to Berk. Hiccup was hesitant at first, but the gang were able to convince him to come alone with them.

Two days later, the gang arrived at Berk, and went their separate ways to spend some time with their parents. Later that day, the gang, their parents, and Gobber went to the Chief's house for a meeting. Hiccup had no idea what was going on when he saw them come inside his house. They all had a serious look on their faces.

Gobber was the first to give Hiccup a big hug. Hiccup sighed. He could tell that they knew. Stoick placed his hand on Hiccup's shoulder and spoke.

"Don't worry, son. They are the only ones who know. They promised not to tell anyone." He said reassuringly. But Hiccup didn't look at him. Stoick sighed before speaking again.

"I think you must be wondering why we are here right now. Well... we are here to talk to you about our plan. We have all decided on how we are going to punish those pirates, but we will do it only if you agree with it." Hiccup looked at him. That got his attention.

"We have decided that the leader who raped you will be executed. And for the others, we will take all their clothes, food, and destroy their ship, and let them figure out a way to survive at sea. But we won't do this unless you agree with this, son. Gobber and I have been searching for the ship. We have found it, and have been tracking it so we would know where to look for it. And if you agree with this, we will need you to come with us to identify the pirate who raped you." Stoick said. They patiently waited for Hiccup to answer. They all hoped that he would agree with this because they strongly felt that those pirates deserved it. Especially the one who raped him. After a long moment of silence, Hiccup finally spoke.

"I... I don't know. You know I don't go for the kill... I can't... I want them to pay for what they did to me, but I just can't... and I... I don't think I can face those pirates again." Hiccup whispered with a shaky voice. Everyone let out a sigh. That was not the answer they wanted to hear.

"So... is it a no then?" Stoick asked. Hiccup closed his eyes and looked down. He was about to answer when he felt soft hands on his cheeks. He opened his eyes to see Astrid right in front of him.

"Can you think about it, Hiccup? Please? For me." Astrid said while caressing his cheek with her thumb. He nodded.

"Anything for you." He said softly, squeezing her hand lightly. She smiled.

"Alright. We will give you some time to think. Just let me know when you have decided." Stoick said with a small smile.

They all left the house, leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone. She squeezed his hand and spoke.

"Can I talk to you, Hiccup?" She asked softly. He knew exactly what she was going to talk about, but he was willing to hear what she has to say. He nodded before they went upstairs to his room.


	20. Chapter 20 - Convincing Hiccup

They were upstairs in Hiccup's room. Astrid laid her head on his shoulder while sitting next to him on his bed. Hiccup sighed.

"I know what you are going to talk about. You are going to try to convince me to agree. I just... I can't, Astrid. You know me... I'm not the kind of guy who goes for the kill, and I can't face them again. I just can't." Hiccup said softly, voice trembling.

"I get it, Hiccup. I really do. But don't you want those pirates to be punished for what they did to you?" Astrid said, placing a hand on his chest.

"Yeah, I want them to be punished so bad! But I can't do it! There's got to be another way." He said.

"Like what?" She asked.

"I... I don't know! I just... I don't know what to do anymore." He said with tears in his eyes. Astrid sighed.

"Look, Hiccup. I understand that this must be really hard for you, but you have to do this. If you don't do anything to stop those pirates now, then they are just going to keep capturing innocent people, and make them go through what you went through. Think about your friends, Hiccup. Think about the people of Berk. We fly on the backs of dragons, which makes us an easy target for those pirates. And I know you, Hiccup. I know you so well. If anything happens to any of us, you are just going to keep blaming yourself for not doing anything to stop it. What if it happened to me? What if I get captured by them while flying on Stormfly one day? So please, Hiccup. Please agree with this so you can stop those pirates for good. Do this for me." Astrid said while cupping his cheeks. Hiccup began to sob. He couldn't imagine anyone going through what he did. And he would never forgive himself if Astrid got captured by them.

"I... I would never be able to live with myself if anything happened to you." He sobbed. Astrid hugged him tightly.

"B-but I'm scared. I'm scared to face them again." He whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I know, baby. But I will be right next to you the whole time." She said while rubbing his back.

"Promise?" He asked so softly, she almost didn't hear.

"Yes, Hiccup. I promise." She kissed his head.

It was late afternoon when they decided to look for Stoick. They held hands while looking for him, and eventually found him in the forge with Gobber. Astrid made sure that no one else was in the forge before speaking.

"Hiccup has made his decision, Chief." Astrid said. She looked at Hiccup, telling him to continue. She felt him squeeze her hand tighter before he spoke.

"I... I agree with your plan. Do what you have to do." Hiccup said softly. Stoick and Gobber looked at each other and smiled.

"But I won't land on the ship until they are tied up and gagged. I don't want them near me, and I don't want to hear their voice." He said with a slight tremble in his voice.

"Of course, son." Stoick said, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"You are doing the right thing, lad." Gobber said with a small smile.

"Well then, we will leave tomorrow morning. Is that okay with you, son?" Stoick asked. Hiccup nodded and left with Astrid.

Hiccup didn't eat much that evening, and decided to go to bed early.


	21. Chapter 21 - Just Another Nightmare

_They were captured. Astrid and Hiccup were captured by the pirates while flying together. They were dragged into the basement with their hands and legs tied up._

 _"Welcome back, boy!" The leader said with an evil grin._

 _"I'm going to have so much fun with you and your girlfriend!" He said as he approached Hiccup, grabbed him and threw him face down on the floor. Hiccup started to panic when he felt his pants being pulled down. He was about to be raped again. And this time, Astrid will be here watching it. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain and he couldn't stop himself from screaming. The pain was excruciating and he just wanted it to stop. He could hear Astrid screaming at the leader to stop, but he knew it was no use because he never listens. After the leader was done, he left the basement, leaving Astrid and Hiccup alone._

 _Hiccup was lying on the floor, sobbing and trembling. Astrid had tears in her eyes._

 _"Hic-Hiccup? I... I'm so sorry. Can... can you move? Can you try to move towards me?" She asked with a shaky voice. She saw him nod weakly. He did his best to move with his hands and legs tied up, and eventually managed to sit next to Astrid. He rested his head on the wall behind him and took in deep breaths. He wanted to pull his pants back up but he couldn't because his hands were tied behind his back. Astrid let out a whimper when she saw blood on his still exposed thighs._

 _"Hurts... so bad." He sobbed and looked at her. Astrid was about to speak when suddenly the door slammed open. The leader was back. Astrid used her body and did her best to cover Hiccup's exposed lower body. She glared at the leader._

 _"Don't you dare touch him!" She shouted. The leader laughed evilly._

 _"Oh, I'm not going to touch him. It's your turn now!" He smirked and grabbed Astrid, throwing her on the floor face down. He took off her skirt and pulled her leggings down. He undid his pants and raped her. Astrid screamed from the top of her lungs and started to sob loudly._

 _"No! Stop! Please! Don't do it to her! You are hurting her! Do it to me! You can do it to me all you want! Just leave her alone! I'm begging you!" Hiccup cried out. But the leader showed no sign that he heard him, and kept thrusting into her._

 _"Astrid! Baby, don't focus on him. Just focus on me. Just keep looking at me." Hiccup said to her. Astrid looked at Hiccup coldly and spoke._

 _"This is all your fault. This happened because of you. I hate you, Hiccup." She growled._

"No! Astrid!" Hiccup screamed and woke up covered in sweat. A sob escaped his lips as he got out of bed and ran downstairs. Stoick was sitting on his chair downstairs when he saw his son running to the door.

"Son? Where are you going? Is something wrong?" Stoick asked worriedly. Hiccup turned around to look at his dad.

"I... I need to see Astrid. I need to make sure she is okay." He sobbed and left before his confused dad could ask him anymore questions. It was late, so the whole village was empty. He ran as fast as he could to Astrid's house and pounded on her door. A few moments later, the door was opened by Astrid's parents. They were surprised to see him.

"Mr and Mrs Hofferson. I'm so sorry to disturb you... but can I see Astrid? P-please? I need to see her." He sobbed. They were confused as to why he was sobbing, but they let him in anyway.

"Sure. Of course, Hiccup. Come inside." Mrs Hofferson said. Hiccup thanked them and ran upstairs to Astrid's room. He knocked a few times on her door before opening it. Astrid was asleep, but woke up when she heard someone knocking on her door. She sat up when her door opened.

"Hiccup?" She said sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Hiccup rushed to Astrid, got on her bed, straddled her thighs and started kissing her on her lips, and then her face.

"Oh Astrid. Thank Thor, you are okay! You are okay!" He said in between kisses, stroking her face.

"Hiccup, of course I'm okay. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked worriedly, wiping his tears with her hands.

"I... I had a n-nightmare. You and I were captured, and they raped me again! But that's not the worst part... they r-raped you, too! I... I begged him to leave you alone and do it to me instead but he w-wouldn't listen to me! It... it f-felt s-so real!" He sobbed loudly, hugging her tightly. Astrid sighed and hugged him back.

"It's okay, baby. It's just a nightmare. It wasn't real. I'm okay. We are both okay." She said while gently rubbing his back. They stayed like that until he finally stopped crying. Astrid decided that it was best that Hiccup stayed with her tonight, so she let him lie down before going downstairs. She found her parents in the living room sitting on the sofa.

"Mom? Dad?" She called. They both turned around. They got up and walked to her.

"Sweetie. Is everything okay?" Her Mom asked. Astrid shook her head.

"Is it okay if Hiccup stays with me tonight? He... he had a horrible nightmare, and I think it's best if he stays so he won't feel so scared." She said softly. Her parents looked at each other before her dad spoke.

"Of course he can stay, sweetie. We overheard your conversation with him. Is he okay?" Her dad asked. Astrid let out a sigh.

"I don't know... This isn't the first time you know. He has been having a lot of nightmares ever since we rescued him. It always breaks my heart to see him wake up so scared all the time." Astrid said, looking down with tears in her eyes. Her dad sighed.

"I know that you have always been there for him when he needed you the most, and it will take time, but I am positive that one day, he will get better and be his own self again, because he has you." Her dad said while lifting her chin. Astrid gave a slight smile before giving her parents a big hug.

"I love you, Mom and Dad."

"We love you too, Sweetie." Her Mom said with a big smile. Astrid smiled back before going back upstairs to her room. When she went inside, she saw Hiccup still awake.

"Hey, baby. My Mom and Dad said you can stay here for the night." She said with a small smile. She climbed on top of her bed and cuddled with Hiccup.

"I really don't know what I would do without you, Astrid." He whispered and kissed Astrid on her lips. She kissed back and they both fell asleep.


	22. Chapter 22 - Today's the Day

Today was the day. It was the day the pirates would be punished for what they did.

Stoick had arranged everything, and decided that Gobber, Spitelout and the teens would come along with him. They packed everything they needed and left to find the ship. It didn't take long for them to find the ship, and everyone except Astrid and Hiccup landed on the ship to fight the pirates. There were a total of ten pirates, but the gang were successful in fighting them. They tied them up and gagged them before they gestured for Astrid and Hiccup to land on the ship. When they landed, Hiccup began trembling and breathing fast. Astrid saw that, so she quickly approached him and held his hand tight.

Anywhere he looked, the horrible memories would come back, so he looked down and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Son. I know that you don't want to look at them, but I need you to identify the pirate who raped you. You can take your time." Stoick said. They all waited. A few minutes later, they heard Hiccup sniffle before he looked up with tears in his eyes. He squeezed Astrid's hand tightly and forced himself to look at the pirates.

"Which one of them raped you, Hiccup?" Stoick asked him softly. Hiccup's lips started to quiver, and a few moments later, he finally answered.

"All of them." He whispered softly, but everyone heard. Their eyes widened in shock. Did they hear him right?

"What did you just say, lad?" Gobber asked. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"I said all of them! All of them raped me!" He yelled. They all gasped. Astrid covered her mouth with her trembling hands and looked at Hiccup. She thought only the leader raped him. Everyone thought that.

"Well then... I think the six of you better leave this ship. We have some things we need to take care of. Go back to Berk and wait in my house." Stoick said, still in shock from earlier. The teens quickly got on their dragons and flew off, leaving Stoick, Gobber and Spitelout. The teens already knew that all ten of the pirates would be executed because all of them raped Hiccup. They flew back to Berk in silence, and waited for them to return. About half and hour later, Stoick, Gobber and Spitelout arrived at Berk and met the teens in Stoick's house. Stoick looked at his son and spoke.

"Hiccup. You never told us you were raped by all of them! Why didn't you tell us?" Stoick said with a small frown.

"I couldn't. I couldn't tell you guys because it was just too embarrassing. But you can't blame me! You don't understand how I feel. You have no idea how much I suffered. You have no idea how humiliating it is to be used as a toy for people to play with. Do you want to know what they did to me? They stripped me naked, chained me up, and made sure my legs were spread wide open so they could have some fun with me! The leader was the one who raped me first. And after he was done, he let the rest of them queue up to rape me. Do you have any idea how much pain I went through?! I just wish that I died when I fought the Red Death! Then none of this would have happened! I just want this nightmare to stop!" He sobbed loudly. The teens started crying, while Stoick, Gobber and Spitelout had a sad look on their faces.

"Hiccup, don't say that! We will help you get through this." Stoick said softly while approaching Hiccup. He reached his hand out to touch him but he flinched and backed away.

"No! Please don't touch me! Just leave me alone." Hiccup said before leaving his house. Astrid and Stoick were about to go after him when Gobber stopped them.

"Let him be alone. Give him some time to cool down. If he doesn't come back by late afternoon, we will go look for him." Gobber said calmly. They sighed and nodded.

Hiccup ran as fast as he could, away from everyone. He spot a cliff and decided to run towards it. When he finally reached the top of the cliff, he let out a loud scream and started to sob. And then he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. He could see sharp rocks sticking out from the sea below. He closed his eyes, and let out a shaky breath.

Just one more step, and this nightmare would be all over.


	23. Chapter 23 - Help

A sob escaped his lips as he was about to take one more step forward. He felt it was better this way. He believed there was no reason to live anymore, because things were never going to get better. His friends wouldn't have to worry about him anymore, and all the pain and suffering would end.

Suddenly, the memories of the night he had with Astrid came back to him.

 _The heat of their naked body pressed against each other. He had his arms wrapped tightly around Astrid, who laid her head on his bare chest. They lost their virginity to each other._

 _"That was amazing." He said with a big smile, gently stroking her lower back._

 _"Yeah. It really was." She said with a sigh of satisfaction. Hiccup rolled them over so he was now lying on top of Astrid. He kissed her passionately on the lips and rested his forehead on hers. He smiled as he felt Astrid's soft hands stroking his hips._

 _"I love you so much." He said softly._

 _"I know. I love you, too." She said with a bright smile. Hiccup stared at Astrid's beautiful blue eyes for a moment before speaking._

 _"I'm never going to leave you, Astrid. We will always be together no matter what. I promise." He said while brushing her messy hair out of her face. She gave him a big smile and kissed him._

 _"I'm never going to forget this amazing night." He said with a goofy smile._

 _"Me, too." She chuckled._

His vision was blurred by his tears. He let out a loud sob as he took a step back. This wasn't right. He promised Astrid he would never leave her, so he was going to keep that promise no matter how hopeless he feels right now, because he loves her, and Astrid loves him.

He took another step back, away from the edge of the cliff. His shoulder shook as he dropped to his knees and sobbed loudly.

He will get through this. He was going to fight until the end, for Astrid.

It was now late afternoon and Hiccup hasn't returned yet.

"I'm really worried right now. We need to go look for my son. Now!" Stoick said loudly.

"We will go look for him, Chief." Astrid said. Stoick thought for a moment.

"You teens go look for him, while Gobber, Spitelout and I will wait here... just in case Hiccup comes back. They nodded and quickly flew off to find Hiccup.

It didn't take very long for them to find him lying dangerously close the the edge of the cliff. He appeared to be asleep, so they landed quietly. Astrid rushed to Hiccup and knelt down beside him. He woke up as he felt a soft hand stroke his face. When he realised it was Astrid, he quickly sat up and hugged her.

"Astrid... help me. Please help me. I can't do this alone. I need help fighting this." He said desperately, holding her tight.

"Of course I will help you, Hiccup. I will do everything I can to help you get through this. We all will." She said while rubbing his back gently.

"Thank you." He whispered and kissed her on the lips, making her smile.

"Now let's get you home, okay?" She got up and reached her hand out to him. He took her hand with a small smile on his face. They got on Stormfly and the gang flew back to Stoick's house.

Stoick, Gobber, Spitelout and Toothless were waiting outside when they saw the teens flying back. When they landed, Stoick let out a sigh of relief when he saw his son safe and alive, while Toothless gave a gummy smile when he saw his rider. Stoick and Toothless walked to Hiccup as he got down from Stormfly. He looked at his dad sadly.

"Dad..." He whispered. Stoick sighed and hugged him. Hiccup hugged him back tightly. Toothless nudged his riders leg, so he knelt down and gave Toothless a hug.

A week later, the teens decided to fly back to Dragon's Edge.

Suicide is never the answer. He has his dad, his friends, Toothless and Astrid. They will always be there for him, just like he has always been there for them. He will be able to fight this as long as he has them.


	24. Chapter 24 - Always Here For Him

It has been four and a half months since Hiccup was rescued.

They were at the clubhouse having dinner and everyone except Hiccup was chatting happily. Astrid was worried because he barely touched his food. He hasn't been eating much ever since he was rescued, and Astrid had decided to talk to him about it.

"Hiccup... why aren't you eating?" She whispered to Hiccup who was sitting beside her, and placed her hand on top of his. Everyone finished their food except Hiccup.

"I'm not hungry." He replied with a sad face. She let out a sigh and looked at the others.

"You guys can head back to your huts. I will clean up the dishes." She said, wanting to be alone with Hiccup.

"A-are you sure, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked. She gave a small smile and nodded.

"Well... thanks, Astrid. We will see you guys in the morning then. Goodnight guys!" Fishlegs said with a smile. They got up and left the clubhouse after thanking her, leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone. She squeezed his hand and spoke.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Astrid asked quietly, but Hiccup didn't look at her.

"You can trust me. I'm not going to force you to eat. But... if you're really not comfortable talking about this... then it's fine. I understand." She said. Hiccup looked at her after a moment of silence.

"I trust you." He whispered. Astrid smiled and waited for him to speak.

"I... I just don't feel hungry anymore. Every time I think of food, I start to feel really nauseous. I don't know... I think it's because I'm going through a lot right now. Maybe I just feel overwhelmed by my emotions." He said softly. She nodded understandingly.

"Well... do you want to eat again? Do you want your appetite back?" She asked while rubbing his hand with her thumb.

"Yeah, of course I do. I have been feeling really weak and tired because of this. I... I just want things to be the way it was before." He said, closing his eyes. Astrid sighed and hugged him.

"Don't worry. I'm always here for you. Just take it slow, and things will get better again, as long as you don't give up." She said softly. After awhile, they broke away from the hug, and Hiccup looked at Astrid with a sad face. She placed her hand on his cheeks and sighed. She could see that Hiccup had lost a lot of weight. His cheeks were hollow, and she could feel he was thinner when they hugged.

"Why me? Why did it have to be me?" He asked in a whisper, a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I don't know, baby. I don't know." She whispered sadly. Hiccup leaned his head on her shoulder and cried, his shoulders shaking. She wrapped her arms around him and let him cry.


	25. Chapter 25 - Thanking Astrid

It has been eight months since Hiccup was rescued.

Hiccup was getting better each day. His appetite was coming back slowly, and he has been having lesser nightmares.

It was now night time. Hiccup had told Astrid that he had something he wanted to tell her, so she followed him to his hut. They were sitting on his bed as Astrid waited for him to speak.

"Do you remember the day when those pirates were punished? That day you found me on the cliff?" He waited for her to nod before continuing.

"Well... I almost killed myself that day." Her eyes widened in shock.

"I... I was going to jump down the cliff so that all the pain and suffering would end. But... do you know why I didn't? It was because of you." He said softly, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. He saw the confused look on her face, so he continued.

"You are the reason why I'm still alive right now. That day, just when I was about to do it, I thought about that amazing night we had, and the promise I made to you. Killing myself would mean that I'm leaving you, and I love you so much that I couldn't break that promise. That night, you showed me how much I mean to you, how much you love me, and that made me realise that I am not alone, that I have you. You stopped me from doing something I was going to regret. So... thank you, Astrid. Thank you so much." He said and hugged her tightly. A smile crept over her face at the realisation that she saved him. She hugged him back tightly and buried her face in his neck. After awhile, she spoke.

"I love you." She whispered before kissing him.

"I love you too, Astrid." He said as he rested his forehead on hers.

"Can you stay?" He asked quietly.

"Of course." She chuckled. They cuddled and eventually fell asleep.


	26. Chapter 26 - Courage

Ten months has passed since Hiccup was rescued.

It was afternoon when Hiccup went to Astrid's hut.

"Hey, Astrid." He said as he entered her hut. She was sitting on a chair sharpening her axe when he came in. She looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey, Hiccup." She said happily, putting her axe away. She got up, walked to him and gave him a quick kiss. Hiccup stoked her cheeks and spoke.

"I'm going back to Berk for awhile. I think it's time I told my Dad what I did in the past... and also what I almost did on the cliff. And... I was wondering if you could come with me?" He said softly.

"Of course, Hiccup. Anything for you." She smiled and held his hand.

"Thanks, Astrid. You are the best. Let's leave in an hour. I will let the others know." He said and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving her hut.

An hour later, Hiccup and Astrid left Dragon's Edge, and arrived at Berk two days later.

They visited Gobber at the forge before finding Stoick at the Great Hall. Hiccup chuckled as he received a big tight hug from his dad. He told his dad he needed to talk to him about something, so they decided to talk privately at home.

They were now at home. Stoick was relieved because he noticed that his son looked a lot better than before.

Hiccup held Astrid's hand the whole time he told his dad about his suicide attempt in the past when he was only 15, and about what he almost did on the cliff. Stoick was shocked. He wasn't angry at his son for having suicide thoughts, but he was angry at himself for not being a better father. He had no idea his son felt so alone. Stoick admits he was a horrible father and he wished he could change how he treated Hiccup in the past. But unfortunately, the past cannot be changed.

Stoick embraced his son and apologised for being such an awful father. Hiccup, being a kind hearted and forgiving boy, forgave his dad and Stoick considered himself really lucky to have such an amazing son in his life.

A few days later, Hiccup and Astrid flew back to Dragon's Edge.

A month later, Hiccup decided it was time for him to face his fears as he believed it would help him to heal from this trauma.

One night, Astrid was spending time with Hiccup in his hut when he decided to bring this up.

"Astrid. I think I should face my fears... maybe it is a step I have to take to heal... but I need your help." He said quietly.

"What can I do to help?" She asked with a smile, caressing his arms.

"I uh... I'm afraid to be seen naked. And... I'm also afraid to have sexual intercourse." He said with his eyes closed, a little embarrassed.

"So... you are saying you want us to sleep together?" Astrid asked. It took her awhile, but she understood what he was trying to say. He nodded and looked at her, grabbing her hand.

"I know you would never do anything to hurt me, but it's just that... I can't help but think that I'm going to get hurt again. Y-you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"It's okay, Hiccup. I get it. And I already told you I would do anything I can to help you, so of course I will do this. I'll do this for you, baby. Besides, it's not like we have never done this before. I love you, and I trust you. I'll do anything for you, just like you would do anything for me." She said, stroking his cheeks.

He smiled and kissed her passionately on the lips while pushing her gently down on the bed, lying on top of her.

"Can we take it slow? If I ask you to stop, will you stop?" He asked in a whisper.

"Of course, Hiccup." She replied with a smile. He smiled back and slowly leaned down to kiss her.

They kissed and touched each other lovingly, but whenever he told her to stop, she would immediately stop without hesitation to let him cool down.

Every time she tried to remove his clothing, he would start to panic and move her hand away, so she had decided to remove all her clothing first so he wouldn't feel so vulnerable. Eventually, she was able to get all his clothes off, and they were now both naked in bed.

Astrid was lying on top of him, and was kissing him on the neck, her hand moving lower and lower when she suddenly heard him sniffle. She stopped to look at him and realised he was crying.

"Oh Hiccup... I'm sorry, I'll stop. Please don't cry." She said with a worried voice.

"I'm s-sorry... I didn't m-mean to cry. It's just that... they touched me everywhere. Even in p-places only you were allowed to touch." He said shakily. She let out a sigh as she rested her forehead on his.

"Oh Hiccup... I'm so sorry, baby. I really am. Do you want to stop?" She whispered. He wiped his tears away and spoke.

"No... I'm not giving up. I can do this." She smiled as he placed his hands on her hips and started kissing her.

 _A few hours later..._

"You did it, Hiccup! You faced your fears!" Astrid said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I guess I did! And it's all thanks to you." He said with a smile.

They had their hands wrapped around each other as they laid there smiling.

"I'm so proud of you, baby. It takes a lot of courage to face your fears. I knew you could do it." Astrid said as she caressed Hiccup's chest.

"Well... I couldn't have done it without you." He said, kissing her on her head.

Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	27. Chapter 27 - Happy Ending

It has been a year since Hiccup was rescued.

Hiccup was himself again. His appetite was back to normal, and he was the sweet, sarcastic, goofy self again.

But Astrid wouldn't say he was completely healed. A part of him will always be broken. Sometimes, she would find him deep in his thoughts, which she knew he was thinking about the torturing he went through. But whenever that happens, Astrid would always be there to comfort him.

What happened to Hiccup was a tragedy, and the healing process had many ups and downs, but this traumatic experience has made him a stronger person.

 _8 years later..._

Hiccup and Astrid are 27 years old. They have been married for 2 years now, and were expecting their first child.

"Just one more push, Astrid." The healer said. Astrid was sweating profusely, squeezing her husband's hand tightly, which he was sure it was broken already. She gave one last push and they heard the most beautiful cry in the world.

"Congratulations! It's a girl." The healer said with a smile, passing the baby to Astrid who had tears of joy in her eyes.

"Look at her, Hiccup. She is so small. And she has your hair." She whispered softly, holding her daughter close to her heart, a few tears falling down her cheeks.

"She has your eyes. She is so beautiful. Just like her mother." Hiccup whispered and looked at his wife. Astrid smiled warmly and kissed Hiccup on the lips.

"Our beautiful baby girl." She said happily. Hiccup chuckled and gently stroked his daughter's head.

"I love you. I love you both so much." He said with a big smile on his face.

 _ **The End**_

 _Thank you for reading, A Long Road to Healing a Broken Soul._

 _Don't forget to leave a review!_


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